Russian veto brings an end to the U.N. panel that monitors North Korea nuclear sanctions
NBCMar 25
Seoul, Tokyo Unveil Sanctions Over Alleged Russia-NKorea Arms Trade
Image copyright: Mikhail Svetlov/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Japan and South Korea announced on Friday new sanctions relating to allegations that Russia has procured weapons from North Korea in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
In cooperation with the US, Tokyo has targeted 11 entities and one individual for their alleged involvement in military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The Western sanctions regime against the DPRK is inhumane and impotent, and is doomed to fail in light of the world turning its back on them. It's the US and their East Asian allies, not Pyongyang, that are the aggressors in the region as they continue to push and isolate a sovereign country. Russia and North Korea are free to trade as they wish without the approval of third countries.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's no surprise that Russia is collaborating with the totalitarian Kim regime to continue its war of aggression against Ukraine. These arms deals have been a windfall for the North Koreans and sanction-laden Russia, with this unholy alliance making the world a much less safe place. The world ignores this new Putin-Kim axis at its own peril, as the Russian war machine and the North Korean nuclear program accelerate.